You may assume that as dental professionals, our job is to preserve teeth, not remove them. However, while we strive to ensure your smile remains healthy and whole, sometimes the best option for your smile is to remove a tooth. Why do we sometimes need extractions? Tooth removal may be necessary to prevent the spread of infection or to avoid painful impaction of wisdom teeth.
Try Our Dental Extraction Quiz
- True or False: An infected tooth may need to be removed.
- True or False: Gum disease can sometimes lead to extractions.
- True or False: Wisdom teeth often need removal.
- True or False: We work with an anesthesiologist to ensure the procedure is comfortable.
Answer Key
- True. When a dental infection occurs we typically treat the problem with a root canal procedure, allowing us to save the tooth. However, if a patient doesn’t see us in time the tooth may die. An extraction is then necessary to keep the infection from spreading to surrounding teeth or into the jawbone.
- True. Advanced gum disease, also known as periodontitis, can lead to the connective tissue between the teeth and gums deteriorating, causing teeth to become loose. We may remove the teeth at this stage before they fall out. We will also recommend treatment to help manage the disease and protect the rest of your smile from premature tooth loss.
- True. Also known as third molars, these additional teeth erupt in our late teens and early 20s. For some, this is no big deal and has no impact on their smile. For others, this can lead to misalignment, cracked or chipped teeth, and uncomfortable impaction. To avoid these issues, we can remove the teeth before they even erupt and help you preserve your smile.
- True. We often work with Dr. Mark Waggoner, an anesthesiologist who can provide IV sedation to help patients enter a deep state of relaxation prior to the removal of the teeth. If you have any questions about our approach to tooth removal, then please contact our office today.
